Meat

In the land of bacon-wrapped this and barbecued-smothered that, it can be hard to find anything healthy at the Orange County Fair. Especially if you're a vegetarian. Animal-derived delights are everywhere you look, from the oversized turkey legs to the Krispy Kreme sloppy joe. There are, however, a few hidden gems at the fair for those living meatless in a meat-filled world - and they were not slathered in batter, deep-fried or sugar-filled. As an experiment, my omnivorous colleague Jill Cowan and I (a sometimes fish-eating, oftentimes vegetarian)

While it is stag night for me most evenings, my friend found himself wifeless one recent midweek night. Men, especially married ones whose wives are CEOs of the family, are dangerous when left to their own devices. The choices my friend could have made for dinner would probably have been disastrous, plus I don’t even know if they sell pizza-flavored Cheez Whiz anymore. So we got together for a little male bonding time and figured the food had to be manly to fit with the theme of the evening.

The Newport-Mesa school district has suspended the service of all beef products indefinitely due to an act by the United States Department of Agriculture, according to school officials. The stoppage is a result of an “administrative hold” on all beef products purchased under a contract with Westland Meat Company of Chino due to recent reports of inhumane activities at one of the company’s slaughterhouses, according to Richard Green, director of nutrition services for Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

The Newport-Mesa School District will continue to play it safe on their school menu, officials said. The district will keep beef off the menu for another month with an estimated date to begin serving beef products set for May, school officials said. ?We want to closely examine vendor supply lines,? Director of Nutrition Services Richard Greene said. ?We are getting assurances from the USDA and manufacturers that products have been replaced.? Thousands of pounds of recalled Westland Meat Company beef ticketed for Newport-Mesa were destroyed at beef processors recently, but the school won?

Newport-Mesa School District officials want a refund on what they purchased from a company accused of distributing tainted beef. The district has roughly 10,000 pounds of meat at processing companies that has been recalled. Director of Nutrition Services Richard Greene said the fair market value of the meat is $15,000. Authorities suspect the beef was tainted after an undercover investigation revealed video of slaughterhouse workers using forklifts to move downed cattle. The money used to purchase the beef is through entitlement dollars — a prepaid account from the state — which is drawn on from the district to purchase food, Greene said.

The Newport-Mesa school district has thrown out its beef products after the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture ordered the suspension of a Chino business after complaints of inhumane activities at one of the company’s slaughterhouses. School leaders decided to dump the meat bought from the Westland Meat Company of Chino after the reports, according to Richard Green, director of nutrition services for Newport-Mesa Unified School District. “When we see the tip of the iceberg, we put all engines in full reverse,” Green said.

Have you seen the video from the Humane Society of the United States showing slaughterhouse workers using forklifts and other inhumane means to move “downer” cattle for a Chino-based supplier of meat for the National School Lunch Program? There are many words that immediately come to mind, of course. Cruel, disgusting, immoral. Whether it was criminal will be determined by the authorities. But in the meantime, the federal government has suspended the company and is doing its best to track the beef so that it won’t enter the food supply.

Before he was even 10 years old, , RJ McNerney can recall standing on an old Coca Cola box, cutting pieces of meat in his mother and father's market in San Clemente. It was the beginning of his long career in the meat and grocery business, which has culminated in his current venture: Promelis Westcliff Market in Newport Beach. But Promelis is not just any ordinary market, and it's far from the big-brand supermarkets. In the store, employees make fresh beef and turkey jerky, something that is not as simple for a business as it sounds.

It seems more often these days I pine for New York City, and when I do there are certain comfort foods that take me there. Don’t get me wrong; I was born and raised in Southern California and will never leave the beach, but there is something about New York that has always attracted me. I visit there frequently and would love to be able to live half the year there and half the year at the beach. Until that happens, I must take comfort in the places and foods that remind me of the city.

In the land of bacon-wrapped this and barbecued-smothered that, it can be hard to find anything healthy at the Orange County Fair. Especially if you're a vegetarian. Animal-derived delights are everywhere you look, from the oversized turkey legs to the Krispy Kreme sloppy joe. There are, however, a few hidden gems at the fair for those living meatless in a meat-filled world - and they were not slathered in batter, deep-fried or sugar-filled. As an experiment, my omnivorous colleague Jill Cowan and I (a sometimes fish-eating, oftentimes vegetarian)

Bistango has been around for 26 years and is still going strong, perhaps even better than ever. This could be attributed to its chameleon-like nature. By day, it is a power lunchtime gathering place, located in the atrium of a tall office building. By night, it is a grown-up, fine-dining restaurant (but not stuffy) that also features a bar area with a happy hour and tapas, as well as live music and a dance floor. It has always been a very attractive venue. The large space is divided into several areas by curved walls, so the noise level is manageable.

Splashes, at the Surf & Sand Resort, recently had a new chef. His name is Michael Reyes, and his credentials include stints at Gotham Bar and Grill and the French Laundry. We were excited to try his cuisine at this beautiful Laguna restaurant. On a warm spring night, the windows were open to the ocean, and we sat there savoring the sight of the sun sinking into the sea (an alliterative cliché but still very beautiful). Between that and the sound of the lapping waves, it is a very romantic spot and a great place to bring out-of-town visitors.

COSTA MESA - Regardless of whether Omaima Aree Nelson - who ate parts of her husband's body after killing him at their Costa Mesa apartment - is granted parole after 20 years in prison Wednesday, she shouldn't be allowed to eat meat of any kind again, according to a prominent animal rights group. In a letter sent to the warden at Chowchilla State Prison women's facility Tuesday, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals requested that Nelson be switched to a vegan diet if she remains incarcerated - or if she's released.

Question: I have the terrible suspicion that I'm a hypocrite. I'm an animal lover, but I eat meat. I don't eat the meat of young animals, like veal and lamb, but I do eat meat, fish and fowl, along with eggs. Is there anything in the Bible referring to the practice of eating meat, or to Christ's practice? Did he eat meat? I'm aware that I'm seeking absolution for eating meat, but I do face a conflict. Although I would never hunt or fish, I eat animals that other people kill.

Some people are hopping mad — you can count me among them — over the hasty moves by the Costa Mesa councilmen to dismantle the city government that's been painstakingly built up over many decades. Can one assume, though — this being a democracy — that the men must be doing the will of the voters? Maybe, but where did the abrupt, meat-ax approach come from, some people are asking? After all, the council's leader, elected five months ago, didn't campaign on it. Why haven't they taken the usual, prudent, scalpel approach?

Wearing a kilt, suspenders and feathered derby hat, Steven Garza looked every bit the part of a man celebrating his Scottish ancestry Saturday in Costa Mesa. He had high white socks and a tobacco pipe, and his friend also wore a kilt. Both walked into the Orange County Fairgrounds and headed straight for the closest musical performers. So how much of the Gardena native's heritage hails from the old country? "None at all," the 23-year-old Garza said, blowing out a thick puff of smoke.

Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series on Jamie’s hometown, Bishop. Hopefully my column on the fish opener last week inspired some of you to visit Bishop this weekend. If you decide to stick around for a week, you can hit up the Taste of the Sierras on April 30 in the Charles Brown Auditorium at the Tri-County Fairgrounds there. At $20 a pop at the door, you get to try all-you-can eat samples from some of the area’s restaurants, including Whiskey Creek, Simply Delish Catering, Convict Lake Resort, Tu-Ka-Novie, which is part of the Piute Palace Casino, and Eagle’s Landing, which is in June Lake.

For whatever reason, I might have two steak dinners in an entire year. I don’t know if it is that I just enjoy chicken and seafood more or that I never think to order it, but I just don’t eat it that much. I do know that when I make the decision that I am hankering for red meat, I don’t want inferior beef. If I am going to use my two meat dinners, I want them to be as well done (the experience, not the meat) as possible. I used my second one of the year recently at Fleming’s, and it was a wise choice.